History

What we know today as University of Salamanca was born under the name of “Estudio Salmantino” in 1218 at the behest of King Alfonso IX of Leon. However, it was from 1254 —the year in which Alfonso X "El Sabio" granted it its first charter—, when the Estudio began taking its current shape. A year later, in 1255, Pope Alexander IV granted universal validity to titles offered by the new University and granted the use of a stamp of its own.

Similarly, the year 1254 can be considered as the date of birth of the University Library too, since the Magna Carta of Alfonso X already included note of the creation of a position of “Estacionario” —this is, the owner of a "station" of books—, paid by the University and in charge of maintaining updated copies for consultation. However, it is not until the fifteenth century that we can find abundant news about the Library, which reached its first splendor in the second half of the fifteenth century and throughout the sixteenth century.

The first charters of the University, after the founding charts by Alfonso X, were granted in 1411 by Benedict XIII, the controversial figure also known as “Papa Luna”. Title III earmarked money for the purchase of books and ordered the construction of housing for the Stationary that would allow the volumes to be set in one place, indicating not only the need to use the books, but also that the Stationary was already a part of the university staff.